1)

(a)Rava bar Rav Huna learned from the Pasuk "u'che'Poscho Amdu Kol ha'Am" - that talking, even Divrei Torah, is forbidden, once the Sefer-Torah has been opened for Leining.

(b)"Amdu" means 'they stopped talking'.

(c)Rebbi Zeira Amar Rav Chisda learns exactly the same thing from the Pasuk "v'Oznei Kol ha'Am El Sefer ha'Torah".

2)

(a)Rebbi Yehoshua ben Levi learns from the Pasuk "Se'u Yedeichem Kodesh u'Varchu Es Hash-m" - that a Kohen who has not washed his hands before Duchening is not permitted to Duchen.

3)

(a)Rebbi Elazar ben Shamua attributed his long life to the fact that he never made the Beis-ha'Midrash a 'Kapandarya' - which is the acronym of 'a'de'Makifna a'Darei, Ei'ul b'Ha' meaning that 'instead of making my way round these rows of houses, I will go through here'.

(b)When he said that he never trod on the heads of the holy people, he meant - that he never clambered over the heads of the Talmidim who were sitting on the floor, to get to his place; he either arrived early or waited outside until the session was finished.

(c)The third reason for his longevity was - that he never Duchened without first reciting a Berachah.

4)

(a)Besides the Berachah that a Kohen recites before Duchening, he also prays ...

1. ... as he goes up to Duchen - that the Berachah that he is about to bless Yisrael should not cause a stumbling-block or a sin.

2. ... when he turns round after Duchening - that, the Kohanim having fulfilled their obligation, Hash-m should carry out what He promised to do (to look down from His Holy dwelling, and bless His people Yisrael).

5)

(a)The Kohanim are permitted to bend the joints of their fingers - as soon as they have turned away from the Tzibur.

(b)Rebbi Zeira Amar Rav Chisda lists the stages of Birchas Kohanim. The care that must be taken by ...

1. ... the one who announces 'Kohanim' is - to wait until the Tzibur have finished responding 'Amen' to the Berachah.

2. ... the Kohanim (before reciting the Berachah (of 'Asher Kidshanu .. ') is - to wait until the Tzibur have finished responding Amen to their first Berachah.

3. ... the Tzibur, before responding 'Amen' is - to wait until the Kohanim have finished the Berachah.

4. ... the Kohanim, before beginning each Berachah is - wait until the Tzibur have finished responding 'Amen'.

(c)The Kohanim are permitted ...

1. ... to turn away from the Tzibur - the moment the Shatz begins 'Sim Shalom'.

2. ... to go down from the Duchan - when the Shatz terminates the Amidah.

6)

(a)Rebbi Zeira Amar Rav Chisda rules that ...

1. ... the Tzibur respond 'Amen' to the Berachah of the person who is called up to the Torah - only after he has completed the Berachah.

2. ... the Ba'Al Korei begins to Lein - after the Tzibur have finished responding 'Amen'.

3. ... the Metargem (translator) begins to translate the Pasuk just read by the Ba'Al Korei - after the Ba'Al ha'Korei has completed the Pasuk.

4. ... the Ba'Al Korei continues to Lein - only after the Metargem has finished translating the previous Pasuk.

(b)The reason for these Halachos - is due to the principle 'T'rei Koli Lo Mishtam'i' (it is not possible to hear [properly] two voices simultaneously, and certainly not someone else whilst one is oneself talking).

7)

(a)Rebbi Tanchum Amar Rebbi Yehoshua ben Levi says that the person who reads the Haftarah - must first read in the Torah (Maftir).

(b)He forbids him to begin the Haftarah until the Golel has finished his Mitzvah - so that the Magbihah and the Golel will be able to concentrate on his Leining.

(c)And when he says 'Ein Sh'liach Tzibur Rashai Le'hafshit Es ha'Teivah b'Tzibur' he means that - after they finish Leining, the Shamash should not remove the cloths from the Aron (that were brought together with the Sefer-Torah and placed there in its honor) before the Tzibur have left to accompany the Sefer-Torah back to its current (protected) location. Only after they have departed is he permitted to remove them from the Aron and return them to where the Sefer-Torah is housed.

(d)The reason for this is - because of Kavod Torah (i.e. Tircha d'Tzibura), so that the people should not have to wait for him whilst he removes the cloths from the Aron.

8)

(a)He also forbids the people to leave the Shul before the Sefer-Torah has been picked up to return to its place. Shmuel is even more stringent - forbidding them even to leave until the Sefer-Torah has been taken out of the Shul.

(b)The two opinions do not argue - because Rebbi Tanchum Amar Rebbi Yehoshua ben Levi speaks when there are two entrances, in which case, one is permitted to leave from the second entrance as soon as they have picked up the Sefer-Torah; whereas Shmuel is speaking when there is only one entrance, in which case, one should not leave before the Sefer-Torah.

(c)bar Ahina learned from the Pasuk "Acharei Hash-m Elokeichem Teilechu" - Shmuel's Halachah (that one should not leave the Shul before the Sefer-Torah).

9)

(a)The significance of the three Pesulim in Tehilim ...

1. ... "Borchu Hash-m Mal'achav, Giborei Ko'ach"; "Borchu Hash-m Kol Tzeva'av, Meshorsav Osei Retzono" & "Borchu Hash-m Kol Ma'asav b'Chol Mekomos Memshalto, Borchi Nafshi Es Hash-m" is - that this is what the Tzibur recite as an expression of thanks and acknowledgment to Hash-m following the three Berachos with which the Kohanim have just blessed them.

2. ... "Shir ha'Ma'alos, Hinei Borchu Es Hash-m Kol Avdei Hash-m"; "Se'u Yedeichem Kodesh u'Varchu Es Hash-m" & "Baruch Hash-m mi'Tziyon Shochen Yerushalayim Halelukah" - is that those are the three Pesukim which they recite at Shabbos Musaf.

(b)In the last set of Pesukim, they substitute the third Pasuk (which is taken from the following chapter) for "Yevarech'cha Hash-m mi'Tziyon Oseh Shamayim va'Aretz" (which is written in the same chapter) - because the latter Pasuk speaks about Hash-m blessing Yisrael, whereas all the Pesukim deal with Hash-m being blessed (to acknowledge His having blessed them).

(c)They recite different Pesukim at Shabbos Musaf than at Shacharis - because Duchening then is a new institution, that did not exist during the week.

10)

(a)The Tzibur recite the Pesukim "Im Avoneinu Anu Vanu Hash-m, Aseh Lema'an Shemecha"; "Mikvah Yisrael Moshi'o b'Eis Tzarah Lamah Sihyeh k'Ger ba'Aretz" & "Lamah Sihyeh k'Ish Nidham, k'Gibor Lo Yuchal Le'hoshi'a?" - at Minchah on a Ta'anis.

(b)They recite special Pesukim on that occasion - because again, it is something new that was not done on other days.

(c)The Kohanim Duchen at Minchah on a Ta'anis but not on other days - because they do not need to worry about the possibility of being drunk, which they do on other days.